Love and Safety
by thesoundofsunshine
Summary: There was always something pulling them back to each other: love and safety.


**I got instantly inspired for this when I was lying in bed trying to fall asleep listening to my iPod on shuffle. Honestly, I tried to write a chapter for Opposites Attract, but this is the only thing on my brain. I hope you like it considering it's loosely based off of the song Lips of an Angel by Hinder in the beginning, before it spins out of control.**

**Note: The first part is Shane's point of view, the second part is Mitchie's, and the last part is Shane's.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, or the song that inspired it all.**

The scene from the walk around Central Park was on constant replay in my head. It was the reason I was sleeping on the small couch instead of our plush Queen-size bed. There was no way I could sleep on the small couch, so I headed over to the bedroom door. There was always a chance that she had forgotten about everything, but the door locked me out.

My phone started violently vibrating on the coffee table next to my bed for the night. It was a restricted number, but my night couldn't possibly get any worse.

"Hey."

It's a simple word. One syllable. Someone can hear that word a million times a day, and never bat an eye. But, coming from the right person it can send tears into your eyes and break your heart all over again.

"Baby, why are you calling me so late?" I softly asked into the receiver. I sat down on the couch, knowing that my legs would give out from under me soon enough anyway.

There was scuffling going on inside the bedroom, meaning she was awake, "It's kind of hard to talk right now."

"Okay," She said in a tone that broke my heart. It took everything I had to not start having a mental breakdown.

"Well, I just gotta whisper cause I can't be too loud," I said into the phone, knowing that there was no way I was hanging up the phone, even if I was caught talking to her.

"Alright," She said, sounding very distant. There was complete silence until a choked back sob from the other end of the line shattered the silence.

"Honey, are you crying? Is everything okay?" I asked, as I silently started to panic. I had a gut reaction that something was wrong.

"It's just..." She said before whimpering as I didn't want to imagine the amount of tears cascading down her perfect cheeks. There was a bit of silence before she returned, sounding collected, again, "Where's Grace?"

"My girl's in the next room," I whispered, before bashfully adding, "Sometimes I wish she was you."

"Shane," She said in a way that managed to make my heart ache for her.

"It's really good to hear your voice saying my name. It sounds so sweet," I said, basking in the way my name sounded sacred coming out of her mouth, or something.

She didn't say anything in return, but I enjoyed the silence on the line. It was comforting knowing that she was just there.

"It's funny that you called tonight," I said, thinking back to the incident at the park.

"Why?" She asked, with a bit of amusement to her voice.

"_I've been thinking about you all day," Grace purred in my ear, wrapping her arms around my waist as we strolled through Central Park after dinner._

"_That's cool," I stupidly said because I wasn't into the conversation, especially since the restaurant Grace dragged me to use to be Mitchie's favorite._

"_I've been thinking about you all naked," Grace tried again, running her hand over my sides. I moved away from her a bit, feeling uncomfortable about all the touching in the middle of Central Park._

"_Stop," I protested, my thoughts still swirling with memories of Mitchie. Every single memory of her was crystal clear, except for why it ended. All I could remember is that it did._

"_Shay," Grace whined a nickname that only Mitchie had ever used._

"_Grace, no," I forcefully said, before everything boiled over, "Only Mitchie calls me that!"_

"_Do you think that you'll ever feel about somebody that way you felt about Mitchie?" Grace softly asked, stopping the both of us the in the middle of the park._

"_I – I don't know," I said as I felt like vomiting. It was all too much for me to handle._

"_Well, until you do..." Grace said, before walking face and hard away from me._

"_Where are you going?" I shouted at Grace, knowing that she was the only other person who ever weaseled her way into my heart after Mitchie. She was there to listen to all the heartbreak, and she helped put me back together._

"_Home," Grace said over her shoulder, as I stood still in the park. I watched until her figure completely disappeared between the trees._

"Shane," She said, almost as if she was afraid to continue with the sentence, "I only called because I had a dream that... you were in."

"I dream of you, too," I said, as the bedroom door flew open, and I jumped. Grace walked out with a few bags in tow. Her eyes were running with black mascara, and red, from tears.

"Shane, I just – I can't do this anymore. I can't be waiting for you. I need to move on with my life, even if you're not," Grace said, as she started to walk over to me. I didn't move the phone from my ear as she kissed my opposite cheek.

"I'm sorry," I said, knowing that it was all I could give her.

"I'll be back tomorrow to get the rest of my things," Grace said, keeping her cool together. I didn't say a word until the door closed behind her figure.

"She just left," Mitchie flatly stated. I managed to get up without her voice making me completely weak.

"I know," I said, feeling completely numb as I walked into the bedroom. Grace was my absolute last chance at trying to get over Mitchie.

"I'm sorry," Mitchie softly said, as I sank into the perfectly made bed.

"Does he know you're talking to me? Will it start a fight?" I asked, trying to change the subject. My entire body hurt at this point.

"He's at the bar, again," Mitchie said with a bit of attitude.

I smiled at the ways she's changed since we first met when we were sixteen. She was naïve, shy, and insecure. She's grown so much over the past ten years of knowing her. Now, she's strong, outspoken, and wise, with a good sting of attitude. I started to ponder the ways she's changed me. Within in the first year of knowing her, her kindness rubbed the attitude right from me. She taught me that it's okay to be a little unsure of yourself because the world won't end. She, honestly, made me into a much better person.

"And, he's home," Mitchie said, sounding a bit bored until I heard the door slam. Then, she frantically spat out, "I need to go."

I heard the beep to end the call along with dial tone; she was gone.

"I will always love you."

...

"Who were you on the phone with?" James spat, his breath reeking of alcohol. I crouched down in the bedroom corner.

"Nobody," I yelled back at him, not wanting to get reamed for talking to Shane. James was really understanding about the Shane thing in the beginning, until he started drinking that is.

"Give me the phone!" James shouted, as I contemplated crushing the phone under my foot. I clutched the phone tighter to my chest. He reached down and snatched it from my hands.

I started to sob as he flipped it open. I knew it was coming. I should have left like I planned with Caitlyn instead of calling Shane. This wasn't safe.

"You were talking to Shane?" James said, his angry jealously flaring up. I nodded, knowing there was no lie to cover it up. He threw the phone to the floor, and crushed it under his work boot.

He started to walk away, which gave me hope that I could just escape once he passed out. I started to stand up against my better judgment. He turned around, his boot squeaking in the process, before charging at me. There was nothing I could do as he hurled his shoulder into my stomach. I promptly threw up a bit in my mouth.

"I told you not to talk to Shane," James said, as his fist collided with the drywall next to my face. I crossed my fingers behind my back, wishing to get out of here, wishing I could re-do everything with Shane, wishing we had never ended it, wishing my life was happy and secure.

I whimpered, falling to the floor, as James knocked into the wall before crashing down next to me. I scrambled to my feet, and only thought about getting out. I left my bags in the closet, with James on the floor, as I started to run to the only place I had ever felt safe.

...

I dropped the phone on the tangle of sheets next to me. I glanced out the window from the bed, it had started to rain. I didn't want to go to sleep because then I would forget exactly how her voice sounded. I could only thing about how her boyfriend would come home drunk, and tomorrow she would nurse his hangover. She was too good for him, but he was a decent man.

The buzzing from the lobby's doorbell system snapped me out of my reverie. It was two in the morning, who would be here at this hour. Unless, Grace changed her mind because she was all I had left in the world. I walked over to the buzzer system, and allowed them in. I didn't even think twice at who it could be.

Nobody knocked on the door, so maybe somebody had the wrong call system. I laid back down in my bed, until I heard a very faint knock. I got up, and opened the door.

Mitchie.

She walked into my chest as her chest wracked with each sob. I held her tightly as her tears splashed onto my old Connect 3 tour shirt. I smoothed her hair, which almost instantly comforted her. I kicked the door closed behind her. I didn't even bother asking what was wrong because her happiness meant the world to me.

"Shhh. It's okay," I softly said, my hand still running through her hair. I lowered my head to rest on hers. She smelled like warm vanilla sugar; she smelled like home. She had stopped sobbing, but she was still shaking. I ran my hand up and down her back. She gripped me even tighter, almost as if she was afraid to let go.

"I got you. You're safe."

**I want to know what every single person thinks of this, so review!**


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